


From the Ashes

by myosotisdibs



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Coffee Shop/Witch AU, F/M, Fire Trigger Warning, Freedom, Modern Witch AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Discovery, Witch AU, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7754551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myosotisdibs/pseuds/myosotisdibs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A waitress at a coffee shop no one knows about off in a side street of Paris, Marinette spends her life hiding away from everyone and everything in fear. Afraid of who she is and what that means for her, she finds solace in knowing that others are dealing with the same fear she has. Life always has a funny way of showing you who you can really trust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i was listening to this playlist every single day while working on this fic, feel free to give it a listen: http://8tracks.com/reushas/young-witch-in-training  
> also a huge thank you to @matchaball for not only giving me this amazing idea, but also inspiring me in every other way. please read her fics, they make me melt.

_ “Maman! Maman, come look!” _

 

_ “Sure sweetie, what are yo- Oh my god! Tom!” _

 

_ “Maman, what’s wrong? Do you not like my trick?” _

 

_ “What is it Sabine?” _

 

_ “Marinette just made her teddy bear dance.” _

 

_ “Oh, sweetie that’s great!” _

 

_ “No, Tom. She made it dance. In mid air. Without touching it.” _

 

_ “Are… are you sure?” _

 

_ “Teddy wanted to dance like you and maman at dinner.” _

 

_ “Sabine… What does this mean?” _

 

_ “I thought that gene was gone, that it had disappeared from my family. So, Tom, what didn’t you tell me?” _

 

_ “Well there has never been someone in my family that had it!” _

 

_ “Maman, Papa, what’s wrong?” _

 

_ “Nothing sweetie, Papa and I just have to figure out what to do next about your trick.” _

 

_ “We pretend it never happened.” _

 

_ “Tom.” _

 

_ “Unless you think having our daughter taken away is a better idea, we say nothing. To anyone.” _

 

_ “Papa. you’re scaring me.” _

 

_ “Don’t be scared, Marinette. We won’t let anything happen to you. You just have to make us a few promises.” _

 

_ “Okay... I promise.” _

 

* * *

 

The steady clink of metal against ceramic echoed across the empty shop. The soft piano music that played from the speakers in every corner turned down so low it was almost inaudible. Shadows cast over tables and chairs from the setting sun, the rays blocked out by the building just across the street. Every wooden chair was pushed in neatly, every table wiped spotless, the floor swept until there wasn’t a crumb in sight. The plastic counter top was scrubbed until it returned to the bright white it was when the shop first opened. Cups and plates were stacked and tucked away, just within reach in case they were needed. The machines were all expertly cleaned, and they remained silent, long since went to sleep from lack of use. Every painting and poster had been adjusted to ensure they were straight, every floor to ceiling window wiped of any smudges, every light fixture checked for dangers, and every wooden beam dusted and shined.

 

Having exhausted every task she could have done to keep herself busy, Marinette fell into boredom. Which led to making a cup of coffee no one would ever drink, adding in a tablespoon of milk no one asked for, and a packet of fake sugar no one would enjoy. She took a spoon from its drawer and set it inside, taking a step away from it. Leaning one elbow on the counter and resting her face in her palm, she let out a deep sigh before she lifted her other hand. She focused on the spoon itself, the stainless steel stem that extended from cup that was quickly becoming cold. She raised her index finger and, her eyes narrowing into a determined squint, she began to twirl it in the slow circle.

 

As if being asked, the spoon shifted a centimeter, paused, and then slowly began to move. With her coaxing, the spoon circled around and around the edge of the cup, mixing the ingredients it held. A soft smile came to her face as she watched it, letting her finger fall to rest but willing the spoon to continue to move in a constant circle. She allowed her eyes to drift closed, her body weight held by the counter, as the spoon lulled her into a state of rest.

 

She was jerked awake as the bell of the door signalled she wasn’t alone anymore.

 

Jumping up straight, she felt her heart jump into her throat as the cup flew off the counter without warning. It hit the wall behind her with a crash, the glass clattering to the floor and the coffee dripping down the wall. Her eyes wide, she looked to the remains of the cup on the wood and then back to the old woman who had just walked in. They stared at each other for a few agonizing moments, Marinette sure she had just outed herself.

 

“I swear, it’s not what you think-”

 

“You really should be more careful, dear.” The old woman smiled, setting her large purse onto the table closest to her and pulling it open. A black cat leap from it, landing on the table soundlessly as it began to stretch out it’s back. Marinette watched it all, her heart racing and her jaw dropped. “You never know who could walk by and see you using magic.”

 

Her mouth suddenly dry and the air leaving her lungs, she struggled to come up with any lie, any excuse to why there was a cup flying across the room when she was two feet away from it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said slowly, her shaking voice betraying her, “Magic use is against the law, and anyone who has it is in containment.”

 

“Ah,” the woman replied, her trembling hand stroking its way down the spine of the cat before her. “I see.” She continued to silently pet her cat as Marinette stood frozen, watching the animal circling around her hand and nuzzling into her palm. Something was strange about it, how the cat seemed to interact with her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about how the cat weaved around it’s masters hand and the purr that she could hear from five feet away just didn’t feel right to her. Interrupting her analysis, the old woman looked back to her. “I’ll take a cup of coffee, if you don’t mind. Cream please, but no sugar.” Marinette nodded stiffly, turning her back and willing the main coffee pot to life as she tried to slow her pounding heart. In the minutes it took her to make the cup, neither of them said a word. Normally, Marinette would try to make small talk, ask her customer how their day was going. But most customers didn’t walk in on her breaking every law she had ever been taught. So she poured the coffee into a tan mug and set it on the counter before her, a small container of cream set next to it. Without listening for a price, the woman handed her a card and waved for her to use it. Marinette watched out of the corner of her eye as the woman’s shaking hands peeled the lid from the creamer and poured it in. Holding the card out for the woman, she continued to stare as the woman took it, set it on the counter, and then rose her head to look her in the eye. “I could feel it the moment I walked in you know.” Her voice soft and warm, Marinette couldn’t even find it in herself to be afraid.

 

More curious than anything, she let the tense muscles in her jaw work. “Feel it? Feel what?”

 

The woman smiled again, her eyes lowering to her hand as Marinette followed her. The woman raised it, palm about five inches above the rim of the cup. With her middle finger slightly lower and the others outstretched, she began to slowly turn her palm in a tiny circle. Blue eyes trained on the movement, she watched in awe as the liquid slowly began to twirl, its contents pushed up against the sides as if it was being lightly stirred. “I know another witch when I see one.”

 

Marinette looked between the cup and the woman desperately, trying to make sure this wasn’t some kind of trick. “You-” She paused, crouching down behind the counter to take a look at the cup from one last angle before she spoke. “You have magic?” The woman nodded slowly, her hand falling to rest on the counter as the coffee slowly came to a stop. “Wow...”

 

“You didn’t really think you were the only one, did you?”

 

“Well, yeah. I did. I thought that everyone else had been taken away.”

 

The old woman lifted the cup to her lips and took a short sip, her fingers deftly touching the edge before lowering it back to the counter. “You’re not the only one who can keep secrets, dear.”

 

Marinette saw her chance and she jumped for it. “Are there others? Do you know other witches?” She paused, her voice growing softer. “Maybe someone my age?”

 

The old woman nodded slowly, turning back toward the table her purse was resting on. “I know a few witches, I can tell you that. Most of them old, like me, but a few middle aged people. As for young people,” she glanced back at Marinette, who was waiting with baited breath, “You’re the first one I’ve met in a very long time.”

 

Her heart dropped and she felt her entire body deflate dramatically. She was alone after all. Maybe the government had finally done it’s job.

 

Clearing her throat to regain Marinette’s sorrowfilled attention, the old woman set the cup down and patted her cat's head, who was now resting peacefully in a ball on the table. “I will keep a lookout for you, sweetheart.” Marinette attempted to pull up a smile, no matter how half hearted. “I do know what it feels like to be alone.” The woman opened her bag wide and the cat immediately rose, hopping back inside. She closed the latch, swinging the huge thing onto her shoulder with a bit of difficulty. Looking back to the counter, she clasped her hands together. “Thank you very much for the coffee. It was very nice meeting you.” She turned toward the door.

 

“Wait!” Marinette jumped, jogging around the counter and over to the woman. Closer, she could see the woman was much shorter than her, and she looked a lot older up close. The wrinkles set around her eyes and she had very pronounced laugh lines, as though she spent all her time smiling. Holding out her right hand straight, she said, “My name is Marinette.” Nodding, the woman lightly took her hand. She grasped it tight and dug deep to ask the question that seemed to be dying on her tongue by the second. “Do you think you could come back some time and tell me more about… All of this?”

 

The old woman seemed to consider it for a moment, taking a glance around the coffee shop before settling back to her. A sly smile grew on her face as she shook her hand. “I think I could stop by soon.” Marinette nodded, extremely giddy and letting their hands fall, she wrapped her arms around her waist to contain her sudden excitement that was threatening to burst. “You can call me Tikki.”

 

* * *

 

Setting a cup of black coffee next to a container of creamer before the seat she had once occupied, Marinette looked off into the window and waited. Tikki had promised to return the next day around the same time with a book that she insisted would help Marinette better understand what she was,  _ who _ she was. Unable to contain the nervous energy that tightened her muscles like rubber bands, she wiped her hands on her little red apron, took a dramatically deep breath, and went back behind the counter.

 

Tikki and her cat, who she learned was named Plagg, had come back at least once a week since their first meeting. Every time, she would sit in the same seat and ask her for the same cup of coffee. Marinette would bring it to her with a smile, ask how her day was, sit down in the seat across, and she would soak in whatever the old woman taught her.

 

From the moment she was old enough to understand it, Marinette’s parents explained to her how dangerous having magic was. Just the tender age of 8, they told her about how the United Nations had developed a plan to rid the world of magic. In the modern day, it was rare enough to have the gene that allowed people to harness the energy needed, but the various governments of the world insisted they couldn’t be too cautious. At first, they just started to ‘collect’ people who had strong enough genes for them to actually wield magic. They were insured they hadn’t done anything wrong and that the government just wanted to learn more about them. Unable to say no, the witches went along with it. They found themselves in labs and stored in buildings like prisons. Some even chained down and tortured. The United Nations took every magic wielding person they could find and insured they wouldn’t be able to pass on the gene.

 

Over time, they began to create stories from their ruins. They painted the witches as dangerous and reckless, showed videos of the witches attempting to fight back of their oppressors. When looked at from the other side, it just seemed that they were trying to attack government officials. In the course of a generation, the fear and hatred of witches had spiralled out of control. Magic use was against the law, and anyone found with the ability to do so was arrested, never to be seen again. 

 

Witches were treated not as people, but as monsters. Those who had it, hid it for as long as they could. Technology was making it harder and harder to hide, but Tikki told her all about the different stories she had heard from other witches that had made it so far. Some moved to remote places where they wouldn’t be tested. Some began to experiment with ways to tamper with the equipment if they had too. Some had been captured but escaped, and spread the word of the terrors inside.

 

She told Marinette terrible stories of witches who were so afraid they took their own lives. Witches who had escaped that burned off their fingerprints, changed their entire appearance, and ran as far as they could. Witches that had children with non magic wielders and found out that they had passed on the gene, and ‘saved’ their children from ever having to live in the fear they had. The government had wanted the witches to die out and, slowly but surely, they were.

 

There were days when Marinette just started to cry, feeling like the air was being choked out of her lungs. The terrifying things Tikki told her felt like they were ripping her apart from the inside out. When that happened, Tikki would stop. She would pat Marinette lightly on the shoulder, tell her everything was going to be okay, and then she would leave. The next week, she would start where she left off.

 

Yesterday, she had mentioned something about a book. A book that told stories of how life used to be for witches and the different things they were capable of. It was long forgotten and almost unheard of, but somehow Tikki had a copy. And, with only a little bit of begging, Marinette convinced her to bring it.

 

The bell ringing out before her, she stepped around the counter as the old woman walked in. As always, she set her bag on the table, popped open the latch, and out jumped Plagg. He stretched for a moment and then ran off to lay on a pillow Marinette had left for him by the window. Tikki then sat down slowly and invited the other to join with the wave of her hand. She took a drink and leaned her bag toward her, reaching an arm deep inside and searching around. Marinette waited, her leg jiggling under the table impatiently. As the book slid out of the bag, she couldn’t help herself but grab for it, the leather bound book soft to the touch. Tikki started to chuckle as she let Marinette take it and stare at it in awe. “All this over a little book?” The younger just nodded dumbly, holding the book in her trembling hands. It was heavy and large, it smelled slightly of mold, and it had no markings anywhere. It held secrets Marinette spent days wondering about and nights fearing. It had answers.

 

“Can I keep it? Just for a little while?” When she looked up at Tikki, the old woman looked at her with sad eyes. Taking another sip from her mug, she nodded, her eyes falling closed. “Thank you, Tikki. This is amazing.”

 

Her eyes opening again, Marinette was surprised at how harsh her gaze felt. “You have to be very careful. No one can know you have this book.” Nodding earnestly, she sprang from her seat and back around the counter, slipping the book into the cabinet that also held her purse. “Now, where did I leave off?”

 

Coming back around the counter slowly, Marinette struggled to remember. “I think it was something about France in-”

 

“Wait.” She froze, watching Tikki sit up straighter, her head tilting to the side. Plagg also lifted his head, looking over at her in curiosity. “Someone is coming.”

 

As if on cue, a figure approached the door, it’s appearance disturbed by the texture of the glass. It paused just before the door, and then pushed it open. Marinette turned back to the counter as the bell jingled, returning to her station.

 

“Hi, how can I…” When her eyes rose, the words died before they could sound.

 

Still with one hand holding the door open and the other held tight onto the strap of his bag, he stared back at her with the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. His hair was golden blonde and his skin a picture perfect tan. A blue button up with sleeves rolled to his elbows over a pair of fitted jeans and a pair of black sneakers, Marinette watched in awe as he took a step forward and let the door slide shut behind him. A pair of silver rimmed, circle glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and she suddenly felt weak in the knees. His eyes flickered to where Tikki sat, eyeing him curiously, and then back to her. His smile was like the sun and his voice was as smooth as butter. It actually hurt how much of a cliche moment she was having staring at the angel who just walked into her coffee shop. “Am I interrupting something?”

 

“I… I…” She repeated, her eyes flicking back to Tikki in panic while he just gave her an odd look. The old woman just giggled, drawing the man’s attention.

 

“Of course not, sweetie. It is a shop, after all.” He nodded, looking reassured before turning back to Marinette. She was still just staring, her face tight and her eyes as wide as a deers. “Marinette?”

 

Her head ticked to the right almost robotically as she met Tikki’s eyes, function returning to her as the oxygen flowed into her lungs.  _ Deep breath _ , she instructed herself as she returned her gaze to the reason she suddenly felt like a preteen. “Hi!” She tried not to grimace at how enthusiastic she sounded, “what can I get for you, sir?”

 

“Well, uh,” he rubbed the back of his neck, an awkward smile causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle, “I read online that you guys give free refills if you hang out so I thought I would stop buy and get some work done.” He tried to laugh it off, like that was a strange reason to come to a coffee shop.

 

“Oh! Of course!” She wrung her hands together as she looked all across the counter before her, anywhere but at him. “Well, go ahead and sit down anywhere, and I’ll set you up with a cup.” He stepped off, heading toward the back left corner of the store as she grabbed onto the coffee pot with white knuckles.  _ Get a hold of yourself Marinette! _ She turned a pot to brew and set herself to preparing a cup. Tapping her fingers anxiously on the counter as the pot continued to sound behind her, she looked over to where he had sat down.

 

Pulling out a chair for himself in the corner of the shop where wall met window, he angled the chair so he could look straight out but still be mostly against the wall. Setting his messenger bag on the middle of the table, he pulled out a laptop as he sat down, and lifted the lid to boot the thing up like he belonged. From her position, she saw his profile and she felt her breath catching again. Having a jawbone like that had to be illegal.

 

A small throat clear rang in her ears and her eyes flitted back to Tikki, who was looking desperately between her and the man, as if trying to convey a message that Marinette just wasn’t getting. An eyebrow raised in confusion, she just shook her head and poured a cup, balancing a small container of cream and another of sugar in her free hand as she slowly stepped around the counter. The old woman made some kind of sound, that almost sounded like a warning, but Marinette just ignored it. Coming up next to his table, she set the cream and sugar down beside his laptop and held the mug of black coffee out to him. “Here you go…”

 

He looked up at her, a soft smile on his face. “Adrien,” he confirmed, reaching for the cup.

 

Spark.

 

“Shit!” Marinette yelped, yanking her hand away from him as the cup went crashing down to the floor, coffee spilling all over both their shoes. The remnants of heat burned in her palm as she cradled it to her chest, blue eyes searching for green.

 

He was staring down at his own hand, grip tight around pale fingers. His jaw set tight, he looked up at her. He almost looked… Afraid.

 

Silent moments passed as the burning heat dissipated from the spot their fingers had touched, melting outward and settling into a warm glow. It had been like a static shock the moment their skin touched, but instead of a sting, it was a flame. Her mind reeling, she fell to her knees.

 

“I’m so sorry,” she collected what was left of the cup from the floor, not really sure exactly what she was apologizing for. Their eyes met again, his boring into hers as she froze. Shaking the sudden ice from her shoulders, she scampered back behind the counter and ducked, pretending to be getting rid of the broken cup while her racing heart begged for air. A hand against her forehead and the other on the beat of her heart in her chest, she hit herself lightly on the forehead again and again.  _ Breathe Marinette! _ Dropping the shattered mug from her shaking hands and into a bin below the counter, she rose on weak legs and grabbed for another mug. Her eyes cast down, she filled it up once again and steeled herself.

 

The silence was deafening as not one of them said a word and the coffee pot clicked off behind her. Looking away from the cup on the counter and back toward him, he was still staring at her, his mouth slightly open. He looked scared, confused, and curious. She closed her eyes tight for a moment before walking back over to the table he had claimed, setting the cup carefully down on the table to avoid anything like that happening again. “Again, Adrien, I’m so sorry.”

 

“Don’t… worry about it,” he replied softly, almost dreamlike as he looked down to the cup she had just brought him. 

 

Turning on her heel and eager to put as much distance between them as possible, she scurried over to her seat in front of Tikki and hid her face in crossed arms, her forehead hitting the table. She didn’t know when it had turned off, but the light piano melody entered the room again and added a relief to the silence that pressed on her chest like a weight. She could vaguely feel Tikki tapping her elbow insistently, but she just wasn’t ready to escape her shame yet.

 

“Should I come back next week?” She asked with a chuckle, her hand returning to her lap as Marinette tilted her head up, her chin still placed on the table. The girl just shrugged, her head lifting to rest her chin on her arms instead in a slightly more comfortable position. Her eyes met Tikki’s and she watched as the woman glared at her and made minute changes in her expression, as if trying to tell her something without words. She just tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows drawing together in an obvious show that she didn’t understand. The old woman just sighed, shaking her head lightly as she pushed herself to her feet. Marinette rose with her, holding the bag open for her and whistling to get Plagg’s attention. The cat glared from his pillow, before slowly rising and making his way over to the purse.

 

“I’ll see you next week, right?” Marinette asked hopefully as Tikki closed the latch on her purse. Despite being proved wrong every time, she still lived in fear that Tikki wouldn’t return, and she would be alone again. Just knowing that someone else knew what was happening inside her filled her with a sense of relief she had never known. The old woman just nodded, giving a pointed look at Adrien before making her leave. Marinette pretended not to notice and tucked her hands into her little red apron.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adrien watching her. Not so much staring, but more like studying. Suddenly feeling stiff at the realization, she turned sharply toward the back and once again found a safe haven behind the counter.

 

If he had wanted a refill, he never said so. After what felt like hours to Marinette, he had simply packed up his things as quietly as he’d come, and stood to make his leave. She just slowly stood from where she had been crouched behind the counter, plastering on a nervous smile. “Thank you for coming.”

 

He nodded, looking down at the ground for a few more seconds before meeting her gaze again. “I’ll see you around, Marinette.” The bell rang above him and he was gone.

 

Bringing her hand back up to her chest, she wondered if she had been the cause of the sudden spark. If her magic had gotten the better of her. But why him? And why fire? She replayed it over and over in her head as she set herself about once again cleaning every table, every chair, and every mug that had yet to become a victim to her.

 

It was still on her mind when she was locking up for the night, the large book held tight against her chest. It held promises of answers, and that was what she needed so desperately. Digging her nails into the leather, her vision flashed with the coffee puddle on the ground between two pairs of black sneakers before she set off into the dark street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am very excited for this fic!!!!!!! but i want you guys to like it too. please let me know what you think in the comments, not only do they make my day but they let me know if you guys have questions/concerns/hopes/dreams for this writing.  
> also feel free to send me a message or just follow me on tumblr! my url is emmsdibs and i have a 100% ladybug blog. see you guys next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so excited you guys liked chapter 1!!!! all of your comments made me so ecstatic that writing this chapter was actually super quick and easy. so thanks <3

“Tikki, you didn’t tell me I wouldn’t be able to read the damn thing.”

 

The leather book hit the table with a slam, the coffee mug tottering at the vibrations and Plagg lifting his head to hiss in her direction. The old woman looked at her with a sly smile, reaching for her cup nonchalantly. “You didn’t ask.” Marinette just groaned, sliding down in her chair until she could barely stay in it without actual effort. “Stop that,” TIkki waved a hand at her, “you look ridiculous.”

 

She huffed, pushing off the table and heading back toward the counter. “I got home and I was so excited to read the whole thing and learn so many new things!” She roughly began to put together a plate of cookies for the woman, trying to channel her annoyance into slapping the cookies onto the plate. “Then, not only do I found out I can’t read it,” she made her way back toward the table, where Tikki was just watching with an amused glint in her eye. “I also have to wait an entire week to yell at you about it!” She dropped the cookies onto the table with a glare, one of them hopping up and off the plate from the force of it.

 

“I have to admit,” Tikki said between giggles, “the thought did make me laugh a little bit.” Marinette muttered to herself as she sat back down, her arms crossed over her chest and her shoulders slumped forward. Not paying attention, she forcefully crossed one leg over the other and felt her foot roughly connect with something.

 

“Hey!” A gruff voice called out into the shop and she sat up stark straight, looking wildly around to where the voice had come from. Her eyes met Tikki’s, who was just shaking her head in disappointment before trailing her eyes down. There at her feet was Plagg, glaring at her. He had come over in an attempt to grab the fallen cookie and had accidentally fallen victim to Mari’s sneaker.

 

“But… It… He…” She looked between Tikki and Plagg so quickly it made her dizzy. Groaning, she placed her elbows on the table and hid her face in her hands. “Please tell me the cat didn’t just talk.”

 

“I have a name y’know.” Was all the answer she needed. She let her head connect with the table with a thump and let her arms hang down beside her, like she was a doll whose strings had just been cut.

 

“Honestly, Plagg, I’m surprised you lasted this long.” Tikki was laughing again, lifting her cup from the table.

 

“Hey!” The black cat hopped onto the table with no difficulty, lying down between the two. “It’s not my fault she basically trampled me.”

 

“I did not!” Marinette cried, her head jerking off the table to look at the cat in question. He was glaring at her again, his green eyes bored. “Look at me,” she buried her face in her hands again, “I’m arguing with a cat.”

 

“Defending yourself against abusing a cat…” He murmured, his tail flicking out to hit her forearm.

 

She looked desperately over at Tikki, who was still holding a hand over her mouth in an attempt to not laugh. “So, when were you going to tell me the cat could talk?” She gestured to Plagg sarcastically, her cheek still resting in her palm.

 

Plagg scoffed. “I can speak for myself.” Marinette just held up a finger to shush him, her eyes still locked on Tikki’s.

 

Tikki shrugged, placing the empty mug back on the table. “I suppose we just hadn’t gotten there yet.”

 

“Really?” Marinette sighed. “You think it would have come up slightly after ‘I’m also a witch’ and slightly before ‘let me tell you the story of our people.’” She rolled her eyes, looking back to Tikki, who seemed a bit taken back. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sass you.” She let her eyes fall down to her hands, which had made their way back onto the table and now rubbed together anxiously. “I just haven’t gotten a lot of sleep.”

 

Running her finger along the rim of the empty cup, Tikki kept her eyes down when she spoke. “Really? Anything in particular bothering you?”

 

Thinking back onto her last few sleepless nights, she tried to find some common cause. She hadn’t had a good night's sleep in the past few days as she just kept tossing and turning with no end. And even when she did finally fall into a fitful sleep, she just had nightmares that woke her right back up. “Just can’t seem to sleep,” she admitted, deciding to leave out the more personal tidbit about the dreams.

 

“Anything else? Maybe sleepwalking or... Nightmares?” Marinette looked to Tikki, who was still making a point to look anywhere but at her.

 

“Yeah, how did you know?” The old woman sighed, her hand coming up to rub her temple for a moment. She didn’t move to say anything so Marinette leaned forward, watching out to make sure she didn’t accidentally hit Plagg. “How did you know I was having nightmares?”

 

“Honestly, Marinette, I did try to warn you.”

 

Marinette felt herself start to panic, her heart rate increasing as her voice jumped up in pitch. “Warn me of what?!”

 

Tikki’s hand shot out, cool palm wrapping around the heated skin of Marinette’s forearm in an attempt to calm her. “Calm down, it’s nothing serious. It won’t last much longer.”

 

A huge exhale of relief leaving her, the younger allowed her tense muscles to start to relax as Tikki’s thumb circled her skin. “But,” she swallowed hard, “what is it? What happened?”

 

Withdrawing back into herself, the other returned her gaze to the window, her hand absentmindedly reaching toward Plagg. “Do you remember the first day I came here? When I said I could feel that you were a witch?” Marinette nodded, clasping her hands tight together on the table. “Well, when I was here last week, I felt something else.”

 

“What did you feel?”

 

“Last time when that boy-”

 

“Adrien.” Marinette corrected, blushing at how quickly she had done so.

 

Tikki glanced at her for a moment before looking back to the window. “When  _ Adrien _ was coming in, I could feel it. But it wasn’t like what I felt with you, there was something different about it. Something just wasn’t right.”

 

Shaking her head lightly, Marinette tried to put together what she was implying. “So, you’re saying, Adrien is…?”

 

“No!” She exclaimed, almost too loudly. “Well… I don’t think so.” Her fingers began to tap on the table. “I’ve been trying to figure it out since then but I haven’t been able to come up with anything conclusive yet.”

 

“But, what does this have to do with my nightmares?”

 

Tikki scoffed, “well you touched him! After I warned you not to, you still touched him.”

 

“How was I supposed to know?!” Marinette held her hands up, watching Tikki with wide eyes while the woman just glared at her. “You didn’t warn me, you just gave me confusing looks while I was walking over to him.” Tikki shrugged, a puff of air leaving her mouth. A few moments of silence passed. “So I’m having nightmares because my finger touched his.”

 

“As far as I can tell, maybe. I’ve seen something like it before but I have no way of knowing if this is anything similar. And if you were looking for answers on that in this book,” she tapped it twice with her finger, “you weren’t going to find it there.” Marinette nodded, her eyes glued to her lap. Speaking softly and offering a hand to hold, Tikki asked, “Can you tell me what the nightmares are about? That might help.”

 

The silence stretched on for a few minutes after that, Marinette struggling to explain her nightmares while giving as little information as possible. With nothing but the soft piano melody playing around them, Marinette just listened to her own heart pound in her ears. The first dream she had wasn’t a terrible nightmare, but they had just been getting worse, more vivid. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, her hands clenching into fists. “Fire,” she admitted softly, “I’ve been having nightmares about fires and, uh… Being burned. Alive.”

 

“I’m sorry. That must be scary.” She just shrugged, her hand coming up to rub her opposite arm. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t help me any. The only way I could get you answers is from him.”

 

“What?!” Marinette almost jumped out of her seat, her eyes wide. “Just- just ask him?”

 

Tikki nodded, pushing her mug lightly toward Marinette in a silence request for another. Marinette took the cup with a frown, standing up with a huff and making her way back over to the counter. “He seemed just as surprised as you. Maybe he wants some answers too.”

 

The younger scoffed, flipping the coffee machine back into working order. “Obviously not, he hasn’t been back since that day… I probably scared him off.”

 

A strange sounding snort echoed off the walls. “You probably did!” Plagg snickered, his tail flicking into the air.

 

Face flushing red, Marinette turned to him and stomped her foot, her hands balling into fists by her sides. “I liked you better when you didn’t talk!” Her jaw clenching tight, she took one of the small tan biscuits next to the cash register and broke off a piece, chucking it toward him. His eyes trailed it, and then he was up and gone, after the piece of food. She sighed, her hand coming up to rub her forehead as the coffee pot came to heat behind her. Never one to yell over little things, she felt herself needing to apologize for her short temper. “I’m sorry, I guess the lack of sleep is getting to me more than I thought it was.”

 

“It’s fine, Marinette. I don’t blame you.” Tikki fell into silence as her gaze returned to the window. Deciding that was better for the moment, Marinette tightened the high ponytail that was perched on the back of her head, using her fingers to tuck a few strays that had gotten free behind her ears. Setting an empty pot beneath the ready machine, she set it to a quick brew and leaned against the counter opposite. Playing with the chipping baby pink polish on her fingernails, she tried to focus in on the repetitive melody of the cafe playlist and not on the nightmares that still threatened to break to the surface. They had gotten so vivid that she woke up sweating and crying, not entirely sure it had been a dream at all. What had first just been visions of heat and flame, had turned deadly in just a few days. Closing her eyes tight and still seeing splashes of orange and red, she opened her eyes and focused down on the white fabric on either side of her bright red apron. She pulled the shirt down, flattening it and adjusting her apron before the pot announced it was finished. She made short work of pouring both herself and Tikki a cup, making sure to bring over a creamer for the other and some milk and sugar for herself. She technically wasn’t supposed to drink any coffee on shift, but she decided to make an exception for herself this time. She needed it.

 

Tikki gave her a curt nod as she sat down and placed both mugs before them. She seemed deep in thought, her eyebrows drawn together. Marinette just added her ungodly amount of milk and sugar to her own mug, taking a testing sip before deciding it was just good enough. By this time, Plagg had returned to his pillow by the window, stretched out as he slept easily. Almost jealous, Marinette turned her attention back to Tikki. “I suppose we can’t do anything about it unless he comes back here,” Tikki sighed, her hands tightening around her mug, “so I guess let’s just start back where we left off.”

 

* * *

 

It took two weeks for Adrien to show up in her coffee shop again. Two weeks of Marinette convincing herself that he would never come back and she would never get her answers. Two weeks of the nightmares finally fading away into nothingness. Two weeks of Tikki starting to teach her how to translate the leather bound text and explain what everything she translated meant.

 

It was raining when he came again. Marinette had just finished bidding farewell to a couple that had come in to try and escape the storm, now focused on using a damp rag to wipe down the white front counter. She expected to hear the door slide closed, the sound of rain hitting the street cut off into muted taps against the windows. When the cut off didn’t come, she raised her gaze, finding herself staring straight into those green eyes again.

 

A smile came to his face when her eyes met his, taking a step inside and using a hand to pull the hood of his soaked jacket off his head. “Hey Marinette.”

 

Frozen to the core, she willed herself past six mental brick walls and forced words out of her mouth. “Adrien! Hi!” A tight smile came to her face as she tried to hide the nervous butterflies that had suddenly emerged in her stomach. He shook his head, a few droplets raining down around him as he stood dripping on the rug she had placed down by the door. Feeling bad for the poor guy, she held up a finger. “Let me see if I can find a towel or something.”

 

“That’d be awesome,” he said as she disappeared into the back of the store in a flash. It took her a minute to reemerge with a roll of paper towels and a small hand towel. He had removed his soaked jacket, leaving him in a slightly less wet black tshirt and his jeans. She moved to hand the items to him but paused, her cheeks flaming pink. Instead, she quickly set them down on a nearby table and scurried back behind the counter, eager to put distance between them. “Thanks,” he said, taking a wet step toward the table and grabbing the towel, rubbing his face and head with it roughly.

 

“Coffee?” She asked, not really sure what else to do. He nodded, flashing her another picture perfect smile that sent her heart aflutter as she turned to her task.

 

She had turned the lights in the cafe on brighter as the sky had grown darker, the entire place basked in a bright orangish light as the storm raged on. The sound of the rain had become almost violent at times, roaring over any other sound. She had almost considered closing the place early, heading home to hide away. She figured she might as well wait out the storm here and get paid to do it. So she had stayed, offering shelter and a cup of warm coffee first to a couple she had seen running down the street, and now to the boy who had supposedly cost her a week of peaceful sleep. The coffee pot was already heated up from the two pots she had made for the couple previous, so it didn’t take for a long for another pot to brew and steam. The rain seeming to sap all of the heat from the shop, so she welcomed the heat the machine put off.

 

“You remembered my name,” she heard herself saying, her arms crossed tight across her torso in an attempt to keep warm.

 

He laughed, his head tipping back as she watched him react. “And you remembered mine,” he shot back, dropping into the seat at the table closest to the center of the shop. He seemed satisfied with how he had dried, a hand running through damp hair and leaving it combed to the side. His hands crossed in front of him, eyes moving to her as she poured a cup of coffee and carefully brought it over to him, setting it down before him and quickly taking a step back. He seemed to sigh softly, reaching for the sugars in the center of the table and adding nearly as much as she normally did.

 

“So, what were you doing out in the storm?” She asked, hoping to avoid more awkward silences, like the last time he was here.

 

Eyes trained on the way he stirred his coffee lightly, a small frown came to his face. “I was out running errands and hadn’t bothered to check the weather forecast.” He lifted the cup to his lips, taking a small sip as his entire body seemed to physically relax. “I was in the neighborhood with absolutely no hope of getting home before the storm let up so I thought I would stop by and apologize for what happened the last time I was here.”

 

Eyes wide, Marinette lightly set herself down on the chair across from him, feeling almost afraid to get comfortable. “Apologize? What for?”

 

He set the mug down, his hand wrapping around his wrist as he rested both arms on the table. “Well after the coffee slipped,” after we basically got burned, she added to herself, “things got kind of awkward and I should’ve acted better about it. I had a lot on my mind but I shouldn’t have let that get in the way, y’know?”

 

“Really, it’s fine. It was both of our faults,” his eyes met hers and she smiled reassuringly, her tense shoulders dropping slightly. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” He nodded, bringing the coffee cup back up as his gaze wandered out the window. “Did you, um,” she bit the corner of her lip for a moment, forcing the uncomfortable words out, “want to talk about what was bothering you? I can’t guarantee I can help or anything, but I can listen.” He eyed her from the side, the hand not wrapped around his coffee mug starting to lightly tap on the tabletop.

 

He seemed to consider it for a moment as his hands moved to spin the mug on the table. “Do you mind getting me a glass of water first?”

 

Realizing that was her job, she jumped up, smoothing her apron down. “Of course,” she hurried around the counter, pulling out a clear, tall glass and filling it with tap water at the sink next to the machines. The rain continued to pound outside, adding a comfortable buffer to the silence as she made her way back toward the table. Glass in hand, she crossed the slight gap between the tables at the center of the shop in a quick step. Unknowingly, her front foot landed directly in a puddle that had collected when the rain had made its way inside. Marinette yelped loudly as the foot slipped forward suddenly, knocking her off balance. She fell backwards, landing on her tailbone as her legs swung out in front of her. She somehow managed to get her hands under her in time, taking most of the force and saving her from any bruising. That unfortunately left the glass to roll out of her hand, hitting the floor with a light hop as the water sprayed across the floor towards the door, the glass somehow remaining intact. Sitting in a small puddle on the ground, she looked over to where Adrien gaped at her.

 

Seeming to come to his senses, he jumped up, making his way over to her in two long strides. “Marinette, are you okay? Oh shit, you must’ve slipped on the water I brought in, I’m so, so sorry.”

 

Wiping her hands together as she pulled her knees slightly toward her, she shook her head. “It’s fine! I’m pretty clumsy anyway,” she smiled awkwardly, rubbing off the damp of her palms on her apron.

 

“I’m still so sorry,” he stood tall, reaching out his hand to help her up. Not thinking, she took it, getting a few inches off the ground before it hit her.

 

Burning heat covered her whole hand, stretching all the way up her forearm in waves. Her skin red hot and the burning so much more intense than it was the last time, she yelled out, yanking her hand away from his as she fell back down to the floor. The heat began to calm quickly as she held the arm tight to her chest, her eyes locked on Adrien’s.

 

“Marinette!” He dropped to his knees again, moving to touch her but he held his hands up in defense when she shied away. “I’m so sorry, I just keep hurting you and I really don’t know what’s going on.” Both their eyes moved down to her arm, which was starting to turn a bright pink, almost like she’d been sunburned. Tears poked out of her eyes, collecting in the corners as she bit her lip tight in an attempt to hold them back. He seemed to panic then, moving at least a foot away from her and falling back to sit on the floor himself. “Oh, please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to burn you. Oh, shit,” he ran a hand through his rapidly drying hair, looking so distressed that he didn’t know what to do.

 

Marinette swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, her arm still clutched tight to her chest, “I know-” she cleared her throat, “that it’s not your fault. I don’t know why it’s happening either.” She blinked away the remaining tears, carefully getting to her feet as he followed suit. Resisting the urge to try and cool down the injury with her magic, she walked back over behind the counter and flicked the tap onto cold, placing her heated hand beneath the stream.

 

He stood stock still for a moment, his eyes glued to the floor. Then he silently went over to the paper towels he had been using earlier to dry off and set to wiping the puddles on the floor, both from the rain and the dropped glass. It took him a few minutes, Marinette watching from the side as she held her tender skin under the water. Tossing the ruined paper into the trash can, he picked up the glass and placed it on the counter next to the cash register. When their eyes met again, his were filled with pain.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll just go,” he cast his eyes down, turning back toward the table his jacket was still waiting on.

 

Her mind running as fast as her heart was pounding, Marinette had an extremely quick internal argument with herself before saying, “Wait.” Half into his jacket, he paused, looking back to her. “Can you come back tomorrow, around 2 in the afternoon?” He looked confused for a moment, his eyebrows drawing together. “I have a friend who might be able to help find out what this is,” she motioned to her hand, removing it from the water and flipping the tap off.

 

“Really?” She nodded as she reached for the nearby hand towel and began to lightly pat off the remaining water. “Yeah, I’ll definitely be here.” She wrapped the cool towel around her arm, pulling it tight to her again. He cringed, guilt covering his face. “I’m so, so sorry, Marinette.”

 

She shook her head, trying to quell his stressed appearance. “My friend should have some answers, and then we can make sure it doesn’t happen again, alright?”

 

He nodded, securing his jacket on as he shook out his arms. “I’ll just uh,” his hands made the motion as if he was grasping for the words in front of him, “wear gloves tomorrow or something. Just to be safe.”

 

She laughed lightly as she stepped closer to the counter, more toward him. “Yeah, that would be nice. That hurt like hell.” He cringed again and she mentally kicked herself, realizing she was only making this worse and not better. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah,” a soft smile came to his face as he grasped the doorknob behind him, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He paused for a second, watching her long enough to make her cheeks start to heat up, before he pushed out the door and back into the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here are some of the aesthetics i've collected for how i imagine the coffee shop (you're free to see it however you want, but these references help me see it better in my head):  
> http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ycO0qvHDawk/TKYm0yI1J4I/AAAAAAAADmE/FPcnrLiPyoo/s1600/-20071104_Fernwood+Walks_044.jpeg  
> http://dreameo.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cafe.jpg
> 
> bonus reference to mari's uniform:  
> https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2b/0a/d9/2b0ad98a41ebefbbe00cd3bbf80ed527.jpg
> 
> again, i'm so glad you guys like this so much and your comments fuel the fire within me. i have two ways this story could go, but ultimately i'm aiming for the longer route ; )  
> feel free to follow me on tumblr (my url is emmsdibs) and please leave a comment to let me know what you thought!


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